Kris Versteeg hopeful for another chance

It was understandable that Kris Versteeg was upset he didn't play in Game 6 of the Blackhawks' series against the Blues.

After skating with the fourth line as a part of warm-ups, it came as a surprise when his name was listed among the scratches, with coach Joel Quenneville opting for Joakim Nordstrom instead.

The winger didn't hide his disappointment after Wednesday's practice and in his usual mild-mannered tone admitted his pride took a hard check. He vowed to do better in the Hawks' next series.

"Every time you get a chance to pull on a jersey, it's an honor. I know that after missing a full season," said Versteeg, who suffered a season-ending knee injury with the Panthers in 2012-13. "It's something special."

Quenneville is looking for Versteeg to be special. Toward the end of the Blues series, Quenneville tightened up his rotations and leaned heavily on his top three lines. Versteeg was back practicing with the fourth line Wednesday and the Hawks certainly could use a boost from their back end. Versteeg said he and Quenneville discussed his scratch, with the coach saying Versteeg needed to play with more pace.

Versteeg says he got the message.

"You just have to have gut check time and find a way to help when you can," he said.

Should Versteeg get the call to play in Game 1 of the Hawks' next series, he said he will have a little extra motivation, but he has to be careful to harness it.

"You have to watch how fired up you get because you don't want to do anything stupid," Versteeg said. "But hopefully it helps me in a positive way."

Versteeg started the previous series just fine, notching two assists in the first two games. But he failed to generate much offense over the next three, tallying just two shots.

Perhaps Versteeg can take solace from the situation Dave Bolland found himself in last season. Bolland was in the doghouse early in the playoffs but rebounded from that to score one of the most important rebounds in Hawks history with the winning goal in the clinching Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.

"I know I can still play," Versteeg said. "When I'm playing good I can be a help to the team. Right now it's just about getting back to that, finding your way, reaching deep down. …"